In addition to the cashmere sweaters, Su Qing also bought a number of other things at the Friendship Store. She ended up spending most of her Foreign Exchange Certificates before finally leaving.
The weekend arrived in just a couple of days, and with it, the day Su Qing was to take possession of her new house.
After checking out of her hotel room, she headed to Xilin Alley, carrying only a single bag for appearance's sake.
At that moment, a large truck was parked at the entrance to the two-courtyard house in Xilin Alley. Two men were carrying wooden boxes and parcels out of the courtyard one by one and loading them into the back of the truck.
By the time Su Qing arrived, almost everything had been loaded onto the truck.
Aunt Jin looked back with longing at the courtyard where she had lived for the better part of her life and sighed to herself. When she saw Su Qing, she handed her the keys to the gate. "The courtyard is yours now, dear," she said. "Please take good care of it."
